Run Down by Dogs

Title

Run Down by Dogs

Source Type

Newspapers

Publisher

The Daily Hearld

Publication Place

Delphos, OH

Publication Date

10/03/1900

Transcript

RUN DOWN BY DOGS, Chained to a Stake by a Mob, and Roasted to Death. HORRIBLE FATE OF A YOUNG NEGRO. Made a Futile Attempt at Criminal Assault Upon the Person of a White Woman, and the Whole Town Suspended Business and Engaged In all Exciting Victim's Confession. Wetumpka, Ala., Oct. 3.-Near the little town of Eclectic, 15 miles from here, Wallace Townsend, a negro, was burned at the stake. He attempted an assault upon Mrs. Lonnie Harrington. a white woman. Townsend, who was a nephew of the negro Floyd, who was hanged in Wetumpka week before last for an attempted assault, attempted to assault Mrs. Harrington. Mr. Harrington was at a cotton gin in Eclectic and lives one mile out of town. The negro came to the house and told Mrs. Harrington that her husband had sent him to get 20 cents from her. She told him she had no change. Then the negro left, but returned in about 10 minutes. The woman's screams were heard by Bob Nichols, a negro, who was passing along the road at the time. He ran to the house in time to see the negro escape. As soon as Mrs. Harrington was restored to consciousness the negro gave the alarm. The news spread rapidly. All the stores at Eclectic were instantly closed; the ginneries and sawmills shut down; the people left their wagons in the road and their plows in the field and gathered for a pursuit of the negro. The crowd divided, some scouring the woods near the scene of the crime and others going to the penitentiary for bloodhounds. The dogs were taken to where the negro's tracks disappeared and an exciting chase ensued. The dogs stopped finally at a tree in front of Odion's store on the north outskirts of Eclectic. The crowd coming up soon discovered the negro sitting on a limb. He was brought down at once and taken to the scene of his crime. There he was confronted by his victim, who positively identified him. Word was sent to the other searching parties that the negro had been found, and soon a crowd of several hundred was in the little village. The negro was taken to the edge of the village and preparations for his death were quickly made. A rope was flung over the limb of a big oak and 100 men stood ready to swing him up. Then a halt was called and the man ner of death discussed by the mob. A vote was taken and the balloting showed a majority of the crowd to favor the stake. The stake was prepared and the negro was bound to it with chains. Pine knots were piled about him and the flames were started by the husband of Townsend's victim. As they leaped to the negro's flesh he a uttered wild cries to God for mercy and help. The crowd looked on, deaf to his cries, and in an hour the negro was reduced to ashes. Townsend, before being bound, confessed the crime, and said he was also implicated with Alex Floyd, who was ti hanged two weeks ago for an attempted assault on Miss Kate Pearson. He said he and Floyd had planned for other crimes of like character. Evidence Shows Conspiracy. m Montgomery, Ala., Oct. 3.-The negro R Wallace Townsend, burned in Elmore ti county, made a confession implicating seven other negroes in his crime. As Mrs. Harrington is the second white woman assaulted there within two weeks it is now believed by the people D of that section that there is a conspiracy among the negroes. One of the negroes implicated in the confession of en Townsend was in jail at Wetumpka charged with burglary, and as threats se of lynching were made the negro, Virgil Miller, was brought here and placed in the Montgomery county jail. The deputy sheriff had a wild drive of 14 miles through the country and had at he been 30 minutes later a crowd of in men who came by train would have intercepted him. Frank Floyd and Jake Floyd, brothers of the negro Zeb Floyd was lynched near Wetumpka on Sept. 9. and who are alleged to be implicated in the latter's crime were arrested.

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